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Conor Washington insists Hearts have done more for team morale in the last two weeks than compared to the previous six months.

Daniel Stendel has started a January clear out with Aidan Kenna moving on and Jake Mulraney, Christophe Berra, Colin Doyle and Craig Wighton told they can leave.

Stendel has made a a conscious attempt to bond the squad by sending some players to train with the reserves.

And Washington believes he is already reaping the benefits, admitting that the Jambos squad was too bloated under Craig Levein .

(Image: SNS)

Washington said: "We have probably done more as a team in the last couple of weeks than we have in the six months I have been here. Which is really important.

"We are all united. Nobody wants to be in this situation so we all need to pull in the same direction and hopefully you will be able to see that in the coming games.

"We have done little things like an army team-building thing, we have been go-karting, and just being in double sessions and getting abused really, that's about as good team bonding as you can get, going through physical pain together.

"And obviously the longer hours have given us more time to get to know each other, I guess."

Previous boss Levein decided to get a bigger squad after being hit by a string of injuries.

But with Washington among a number of players recently returning to fitness, Stendel felt there was a need to reduce it.

He added: "In my personal opinion, just from clubs I have been at, I would say the squad was large.

"There was just a lot of people, and not necessarily players who were going to be involved week in, week out.

"Getting the squad trimmed down and making (training) more competitive between the lads who are going to be starting and playing is really important."